


Zero to Hero

by dysonrules



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Disney References, Hogwarts Eighth Year, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-07-21
Updated: 2013-07-21
Packaged: 2017-12-20 22:01:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,172
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/892382
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dysonrules/pseuds/dysonrules
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Harry returns to Hogwarts for his "8th year" in order to pass his N.E.W.T.s and make it into the Auror program. One of his classes is Muggle Studies and the new teacher has a brilliant idea to help them appreciate certain forms of Muggle entertainment.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Zero to Hero

**Author's Note:**

> This fic is going to take some explaining. XD A fest was held on Livejournal where non-writers/artists could submit prompts and have fics written or art drawn for them as gifts. It's called H/D Glompfest and it's awesome. Anyway, someone wrote a prompt asking for Harry and Draco as the characters from Disney's Hercules. And then listed one of her squicks as the boys being "out of character". *perplexed* It was the last prompt chosen for the fest and then it was dropped twice by people who decided they just couldn't do it. So I picked it up. Prepare for oddness is all I can say. I've included summary sections of the movie plot for people who haven't seen it.
> 
> It is also AU because I needed Crabbe and therefore kept him alive.

_**Long after Zeus, ruler of the Greek gods of Mount Olympus, defeated the Titans and locked them deep in the bowels of the earth, Zeus's wife, Hera, gave birth to a son, Hercules. All the gods of Olympus celebrated Hercules's birth except for Zeus's jealous brother Hades, who was forced by Zeus to work as lord of the dead in the Underworld, and sought to overthrow his brother.** _

Draco sighed and tapped his wand against his leg impatiently. The Muggle Studies teacher was late, as usual. Honestly, the woman was flightier than Trelawney. Perhaps there was some assertion to Pansy's insistence that the two women were cousins. Draco hadn't cared enough to look it up, but the professor was certainly demented enough to be directly related to the would-be Seer.

Pansy was doodling yet another heart on a piece of parchment and writing a stylized _P hearts D 4ever_ inside. Draco rolled his eyes. She was another hopeless case.

"Don't roll your eyes at me, Draco Malfoy," she said in a low voice. "You are destined to be mine according to the terms of our betrothal contract."

"Will you stop being delusional?" Draco hissed. "That contract was drafted by our idiot parents when we were infants and _I do not like girls_."

Pansy gave him a venomous glare. Blaise snickered next to her, earning an elbow to the ribs. Draco was spared her retort by the arrival of their instructor.

Professor Barker breezed into the room at a brisk walk and hefted her gigantic handbag onto the desk. "Good afternoon, class! I have some very exciting news today!" Her voice was shrill and it hurt Draco's ears even more when she was emotional.

Draco's gaze flicked to Potter to see how the Chosen Prat would take her "exciting news." At the moment, Potter's gaze was fixed on the teacher, but he was grinning at whatever the Weasel next to him blathered. The bloody trio had grown even closer since the war and were rarely seen out of one another's company, except when Granger and the Weasel sneaked off for some alone-time. Draco shuddered at the thought and shoved it firmly out of his mind.

Barker clapped her hands, most likely to wake up Dean Thomas, who had dozed off in the front row. She gave him a firm stare when his head jerked up. "Exciting. News," she repeated.

"Oh, please do tell us, Professor!" Pansy cried and Draco barely resisted the urge to pinch her. She had taken sycophantic behaviour to new levels with their return to Hogwarts, no doubt hoping to erase the memory of her having suggested they turn Potter over to the Dark Lord during the war. Most of the teacher's weren't fooled, but Professor Barker had been completely taken in. She smiled at Pansy.

"Class, I have been given permission by the Headmistress for you to perform a Muggle play!"

Silence greeted her declaration. Draco, eyes firmly fixed on Potter, saw a distinct lack of expression on his features. Whatever this "play" was, it seemed to be a potentially bad idea. Of course, if Potter was against it, Draco might have to champion it. Opposing Potter was sort of his job, after all.

"So well do I remember my Gran taking me to the theatre as a child! The costumes! The songs!" Professor Barker stared at the rafters, a common affliction whenever she began to wax poetic about her Muggle upbringing. Draco ignored her and began to indulge in his favourite new pastime, mentally combing Potter's hair. That bit there, just behind his right ear, was curling up in a most unbecoming fashion. If Draco had been one of Potter's friends, he would have smoothed it down, just so…

Granger's hand shot into the air, distracting Draco from his hair-combing daydream. "What sort of play, Professor? Shakespeare? A Greek tragedy?" Her voice, contrary to Potter's growing moue of distaste, sounded eager. Draco glanced at Barker warily.

The professor laughed gaily and waved a ring-choked hand. "Nothing so somber, Hermione. We have had more than enough angst and tragedy here since… you know." There was another moment of silence as every student took an unwilling moment to remember "you know", which was difficult to forget when the signs of it met them each time they entered a formerly unscathed portion of the castle, now covered in new stone and mortar, or sometimes simply boarded up. "Anyway," Barker went on, "we will be performing _Disney_!"

Draco quickly looked back at Potter, whose face had taken on a borderline horrified expression. Curiously, Granger's face mirrored it almost exactly. "Disney?" she repeated.

"A brilliant suggestion, Professor!" Pansy crowed. "Inspired!"

"Thank you, Pansy," Professor Barker said and preened.

"Knock it off," Draco growled in a low tone.

"Oh pish," she said with a sniff. "If Granger is against it, I can hardly wait."

Draco listened with half an ear after that, only vaguely interested in the concept of dressing up, learning lines, singing, and pretending to be some sort of deranged mythological Greeks. He had no intention of doing anything of the sort, of course.

"Do you really think Hercules is appropriate, Professor?" Granger asked again, earning a cross look from Barker. Granger had already placed herself firmly on Barker's Least Favourite People list by correcting her on several occasions. Barker was Muggleborn and had grown up in a Muggle household, but so had Granger, except far more recently. Apparently things changed frequently in the Muggle world, much to Professor Barker's dismay. "Isn't it a bit… young?"

"Things need not be written in ancient times to be classic, Ms Granger," Barker said in a chilly tone.

"No, I meant, is it not meant for a much younger audience? We are all of age here, or nearly."

Barker waved a hand again. "Oh, that. I am glad you brought up the audience. We will, of course, be performing the play for the younger students just before the Leaving Feast. Naturally, I had to find something age-appropriate. We can hardly perform Ovid for the First-years."

Granger pursed her lips at Barker's smug expression, but said nothing. Potter only scratched his head and threw Granger a perplexed look. Draco noticed the idiot had mussed his hair even more. It now needed a seeing-to on both sides and top. Truly, the hero was hopeless.

"I am passing around a sign-up sheet with the characters we will need, plus a list of roles we will require other than actors. We will require sets and props and special lighting effects and costumes and…" Barker droned on. Draco was bored with it all, except to note that Potter's wry grin had returned, and the Patil twins seemed even more excited than the professor. Granger looked as though she had a lemon wedge in her mouth.

"This might actually be fun," Pansy said. "I think I am going to sign up."

"Is there a female dementor part?" Draco asked.

"Draco Malfoy, you are insufferable!"

"But you'll still love me forevaaaaah, right?" He batted his lashes at her and then winced when her sharp-toed shoe caught him in the shin. Evil bint. The sign-up sheet reached Draco and he skimmed it with little interest. Barker's admonition that "everyone must sign up for something or I will do it for you" kept Draco from ignoring the list completely. He scrawled his name under PROPS. How hard could PROPS be?

Potter's name was written on the space beneath HERCULES, of course, but it wasn't Potter's handwriting, which Draco would recognize anywhere. Draco cast a smirk towards Potter as he passed the list to Pansy. It would serve Potter right if he ended up with the part after someone else signed him up.

"Will you stop watching Potter?" Pansy complained, nibbling the end of her quill as she dragged a nail down the page.

"Better to ask the moon to turn into liver pate," Blaise said dryly.

Draco flipped him the fingers and then ignored them both to pull out his essay for Transfigurations. He ought to be able to complete it before Barker finished gushing about the "grand set design and lovely period costumes".

 

~~H~~

_**Hades learned from the Fates that in eighteen years, a planetary alignment would reveal the location of where the Titans were trapped, allowing him to free them and take over Olympus, but only if Hercules did not interfere. Hades sent his minions, Pain and Panic, to kidnap Hercules, bring him to Earth, and kill him after giving him a potion to turn him mortal. However, Pain and Panic were unable to give Hercules the entire potion which, while still making him mortal, allowed him to retain his godlike strength. Hercules was then found by a farmer and his wife, who raised him as their own son.** _

"Pardon?" Harry asked, certain he had misheard Professor Barker.

She beamed at him. "Harry, I am so glad you signed up to be Hercules! I admit I was hopeful, but I feared that perhaps you would feel it was too cliché. You also seem to be rather shy around the press, but regardless, thank you! I know you will make a delightful Hercules, since you are, of course, already a hero." She tittered and Harry blinked, trying to process her words.

"I didn't sign up to play Hercules," he protested when they sank in. "I wanted to do the lighting!"

He heard Malfoy make a snorting sound behind him, but ignored it.

"Now, Harry, it's perfectly natural to have cold feet. I will help you work through it. I've been reading some Muggle books on Directing. Let's see… Megara. We received a large number of applicants—we all want to be princesses, don't we, girls? However, I found the most interesting to be Draco Malfoy. Bravo, Draco! I commend your Thespian spirit and willingness to embrace the traditions of old!"

" _What_?"

Harry turned in his chair and felt a flash of deep satisfaction at the abject horror on Malfoy's face. Finally, it was the blond prat's turn to be on the receiving end of a terrible prank. Harry wondered who had penned his own name—one of the Patil's, most likely—but he would never have thought to add Malfoy's under Megara! It had to have been one of Malfoy's fellow Slytherins. Harry didn't think anyone else would dare.

Barker was still verbally gushing. "I applaud you, Draco! In the days of the Bard it was common for men to play the roles of women, and in these enlightened times I am pleased to see such lack of fear to counter the commonality of opinion. Let us all give a much-deserved round of applause to Draco Malfoy!" With that, Professor Barker began to clap, quickly followed by Pansy Parkinson (notorious suck-up) and a smattering of others. Harry smirked at Malfoy and clapped loudly.

Malfoy's face was a shade of red that should have been unattractive, but instead simply added a rosy hue to his pale features. Malfoy glared. Harry glared back.

"I did not, nor would I _ever_ , sign up to play any part in this infernal Muggle production," Malfoy said adamantly.

Barker ignored him, scanning her list and mumbling. "And with Mr Malfoy playing Megara we have just enough girls to fill all the Muses, with Miss Granger as one of the Titans, of course…"

"A Titan?" Hermione burst out. "I never signed up to be a Titan! Who filled out those forms?"

Ron had started chuckling when it was announced that Draco would play the female lead role, and now he nearly fell out of his chair, laughing so hard he could barely breathe. "A Titan! Merlin, no more! I can hardly stand it."

Barker's voice rose over the protests and laughter. "Those willing to remain in their cast positions will, of course, receive additional credit towards their N.E.W.T.s."

That shut everyone up, including Malfoy. The only reason they had returned to Hogwarts for their "Eighth Year" was to receive their N.E.W.T. scores. Harry could not enter Auror Training without them, and Hermione was determined to pass with sterling marks.

"How much extra credit?" Malfoy asked.

Barker smiled at him. "If you manage to pull this off, Mr Malfoy, you will receive an O in Muggle Studies for certain."

Harry watched as Malfoy seemed to mull it over. The mortification of playing a girl's part warred with Malfoy's obvious greed. Grey eyes slid over to Pansy Parkinson, who was chuckling nearly as much as Ron, and then away.

"Agreed," Malfoy stated, much to Harry's surprised dismay.

If Malfoy was Megara and Harry was Hercules, then…

His eyes locked with Malfoy's and a slow smile curved the lips of the Slytherin.

…then Harry was screwed.

 

~~H~~

_**Over the next sixteen years, Hercules grew up into a misfit; his strength was seen as a nuisance to all the locals. After being rejected by the townsfolk when he accidentally destroyed the marketplace, Hercules questioned where he truly belonged. His foster parents revealed how they had found him with a medallion bearing the symbol of the gods, so Hercules travelled to the Temple of Zeus, where the god's statue came to life and revealed Hercules's past and true lineage. Zeus explained that Hercules could become a god again and return to Olympus if he became a true hero, so he set out on his old childhood friend Pegasus to find the satyr Philoctetes—"Phil" for short—a trainer of heroes. Phil had long-since retired after failing to train a successful hero, but was convinced to train Hercules.** _

Draco watched avidly as Potter read through his part. It was surprisingly entertaining, especially considering that Blaise had won the part of Hades and Crabbe and Goyle were his loyal minions, Pain and Panic. Draco personally thought they were both suited to be _Pain_ , as neither one could quite carry off the "Panic" persona described in the script. In fact, neither one could quite manage Pain's lines, either.

"Panic, reporting for um… reporting for…" Goyle peered at the paper in his hand as if trying to divine the secrets of the universe.

" _Duty_ ," Blaise hissed. "Bloody hell, as idiot minions go, you two are the penultimate."

"Hey, that's not what it says," Goyle said, scanning the pages.

"Fuck you, Zabini," Crabbe added malevolently.

"Mister Crabbe!" Barker's voice was sharp and censoring.

"Sorry, Professor Barker," Crabbe muttered.

"Just read the damn lines," Blaise snapped and shook his own script. Draco nearly laughed aloud. Blaise had signed up to be the evil Hades, so he had no one to blame but himself. Goyle repeated his lines and Draco allowed his gaze to wander over to Potter, who was parked at a corner table and reading his upcoming lines with the Weasel. Draco mentally smoothed down a lock of hair near Potter's forehead.

Barker took points from Blaise and Crabbe for language, earning a groan from the Slytherin contingent and a smile from Potter. The hero's eyes went from Blaise to Draco and Draco forced himself to sneer instead of passing out on the spot. What the hell was he doing, agreeing to play the _love interest_ of Harry bloody Potter? Draco didn't even _like_ the git.

Barker quickly tired of trying to coax Crabbe and Goyle into reading their lines and waved them back to their seats. Blaise muttered something as he passed, but Draco's attention was on Potter. They had no "stage" as of yet, only a cleared spot in the Muggle Studies classroom. Hercules' elderly parents were played by Hannah the Hufflepuff and some Ravenclaw boy whose name Draco could never remember.

Potter galumphed around the space, earning laughs for his surprisingly entertaining parody of clumsiness, which Draco knew was false because Potter was actually quite graceful, not that Draco had spent much time admiring Potter's grace.

In another bizarre twist, Barker had cast Luna Lovegood as Philoctetes. Draco could not quite accept her as a "trainer of heroes" but since the entire premise was ludicrous—as was his own casting—he supposed it didn't matter.

"You're up next, Cinderella," Blaise said with a nudge. "Make it good."

Draco threw a glare at Blaise, but his cheeks were burning as he got to his feet, feeling that he was walking to his doom. Draco had thought it awful enough to be cast as the girl, but reading her lines had made it all the worse. The bint was openly flirting with Hercules from the first moment. It was going to be dreadful. Draco couldn't do it.

Barker created a nebulous "River Guardian" of immense size that Draco was supposed to try and escape. As the tentacles wrapped around Draco, he sighed and said haughtily, "Put me down, Nessus, or I shall be forced to—"

"I like 'em fiery!" Barker growled as the monster's face moved closer to Draco's. It was fairly menacing for a hastily-created and nearly-intangible prop. Apparently the creature in the Muggle story was a centaur, but Barker had been unwilling to offend centaur-kind, so she had turned it into a slavering beast with three eyes and many rows of fangs. And tentacles. "Of course, we will fashion a more realistic creature for the actual performance," Barker added. "This is only to give you a feel for the lines. Do continue."

Draco sighed again. "You don't know what you're—"

Potter strode heroically into the small space and lifted a hand. "Halt!"

"Step aside, two-legs," Barker said.

Potter spoke up haltingly. "Pardon me, my good, uh, uh... sir. I'll have to ask you to release that young..."

"Keep moving, Junior," Draco said, warming to the part as long as it involved insulting Potter.

"…lady," Potter finished. He frowned. "But aren't you a… damsel… in distress?"

"I am not a damsel, I am in distress, and I can handle this. Have a nice day."

Half the room snickered and Barker sighed. Draco knew he was supposed to play the part as a girl, but fuck that, if the centaur could be changed, then so could Draco's part.

Potter coughed. "Madam, or _sir_ , I'm afraid you may be too close to the situation to realize—"

"And this is where Hercules is hit by Nessus and loses his sword!" Barker cries.

"What are you doing?" Luna the hero-training satyr asked in her normal tone of voice. "Get your sword."

"Sword. Right, right… Rule Number Fifteen. A hero is only as good as his weapon!"

Draco snickered with the others at Potter's line and his mind went immediately into the cesspool imagining Potter's other "weapon".

"And here is where Hercules draws a fish from the water… Set designers, please make a note that we need to have realistic water without actually flooding the room. I will order some Muggle books to see what they use on stage, as I can't recall seeing a play with water… But please go on, Luna."

"What will we use for Pegasus?" Luna asked.

"A hippogriff!" Weasley yelled. "Hippogriffs already hate Malfoy. It will be perfect."

"That's not a bad idea, Ron," Barker replied, much to Draco's annoyance. "It's too bad we can't get a real one, but I'm not sure it would consent to performing on stage, as well as the space logistics." She shook her head. "I'm afraid we will just have to put one of the students into a flying horse costume. Any volunteers to be Pegasus?"

"How about you, Ron? You feel the same about Malfoy as the hippogriffs, yeah?" Potter's grin was wide and innocuous.

Weasley's smile disappeared and he quickly shook his head. "No, thank you. I'm going to be very busy with whatchamacall. Set building. Must figure out how to make _water_ , you know?"

"I'll do it." Longbottom's voice was quiet, but determined. Draco nearly groaned aloud. He'd had more than one run-in with Longbottom during Snape's short tenure as Headmaster. Longbottom Snake-Slayer had a fan club of his own since the war.

"Excellent!" Barker clapped her hands and then read through the comedic fight scene with Potter and the fake not-centaur.

"Is Wonder Boy for real?" Draco asked Luna, trying not to put too sarcastic a spin on the question.

"Of course he's real… And by the way, sweet cheeks, I'm real, too," Luna said as she shifted closer to Draco and then cocked her head. "I'm not very good at leering, but I'll try. You are very attractive, so that makes it easier."

Blaise guffawed and Draco thought about burying his face in his hands. Or hexing someone.

"I'm sure you'll do just fine, Luna," Barker said.

"How was that, Phil?" Potter asked loudly.

Draco barely paid attention to the next few lines bandied by Potter and Luna, steeling himself for his own lines, which came far too soon as Potter stepped closer and asked, "Are you all right, Miss… Mister…?"

"Megara," Draco replied shortly. "My friends call me Meg. At least, they would if I had any friends. So, did they give you a name along with all those…" Draco smirked, "…rippling pectorals?" Despite having achieved a decent level of fitness during his tenure of Dark Lord evasion, Potter had not developed anything remotely close to rippling pectorals. He was still slender and always seemed a bit underfed, just the way Draco preferred.

"Uh, I'm, um… uh…"

"Are you always that articulate?" Draco grinned. It was almost like having a normal conversation with Potter.

"Hercules," Potter said. "My name is Hercules."

"Hercules?" Draco sneered. "I think I prefer Wonder Boy."

"So, how did you get mixed up with the…?" Potter jerked a finger towards the dissipating creature, now almost invisible.

"Pinhead with hooves… er, tentacles?" Draco asked. "Well, you know how men are. They think 'no' means 'yes' and 'get lost' means 'take me I'm yours.'" Half the class laughed and Potter looked suitably clueless. "Don't worry, loony there can explain it to you." Draco jerked his head in Luna's direction.

They continued the scene with Hercules offering Meg a ride on Pegasus—or the hippogriff, or Neville, or whatever hare-brained idea Barker came up with—but Meg refused and sauntered off into the forest. Except that Draco refused to saunter and stalked instead.

"No, no, no! Draco, it is perfectly acceptable that you have decided to play Megara as a male; I think it adds a more personalized touch and will possibly provoke some discussion amongst the other students regarding same sex relationships, which is looked down upon and even forbidden in many Muggle cultures. However, I must insist that you retain the romantic nature of the character, since it is important for the climax of the play. Hercules must _fight_ for _love!_ His heroism is born of it!"

Draco was unconvinced, but Potter's taunting grin decided him. If the Gryffindor brat thought Draco couldn't pull off _romantic_ , he was sadly mistaken. Barker demanded they reprise the scene. Potter babbled through Hercules' awkward dialog and then Draco stepped close to him. Close enough to notice that Potter's glasses magnified his long, thick lashes.

Pitching his voice into low, sexy tones, Draco purred, "I'll be all right. I'm a big, tough boy." He reached up and trailed a finger over Potter's tie and then curled it in his fist to jerk Potter forwards. Potter's eyes widened, green and deep enough for Draco to drown in. Their lips nearly touched as Draco added huskily, "I tie my own sandals and everything."

With that, he dropped the tie, spun away from Potter and lifted his chin to stare at Barker. "Well?" he demanded.

It seemed to take her a moment to find her voice. Her jaw gaped and she blinked a few times before shaking. "Um… yes! That was um… unexpected. But grand!" She clapped her hands slowly. "Very romantic. Or ah… something."

"Quite right," Draco said and breezed back to his seat.

 

~~H~~

_**After his training was complete, Hercules set out with Phil and Pegasus to the city of Thebes to prove his newfound worth. Along the way, Hercules saved a woman named Megara—"Meg" for short—from being pestered by the centaur Nessus, and became attracted to her. Discovering Hercules to still be alive, Hades set up a trap for him outside of Thebes where he was forced to battle the Hydra. However, Hercules managed to defeat the Hydra, and was praised by all of Thebes as a hero. Hercules was treated like a celebrity, but Zeus informed him that he was not a true hero yet.** _

Harry was shaken, though he tried not to show it. Malfoy's hand on his tie, his grey eyes boring into Harry's, and his voice pitched low and sultry had been eye-opening. Possibly life-altering. Harry certainly felt different, and it had only been a moment.

Luckily there hadn't been any lines for Hercules after that scene because Harry's thoughts had been scattered to the wind.

"Well, that was… interesting," Hermione said.

"He's completely mad," Harry murmured.

"You're just now figuring that out?" Ron asked.

"This entire play is mad."

"You know you're going to have to kiss him, right?" Ron's voice was matter-of-fact as he flipped through Harry's script.

Harry blanched and snatched the parchment from Ron. It had seemed amusing yesterday. Now it sounded like the worst sort of foolishness. "I have to drop out."

Hermione shook her head. "You can't. You need this grade to enter Auror training."

"Then _he_ needs to drop out!" Harry's voice was strident and several of his classmates looked askance at him as they began to make their way towards the exit. Malfoy hurried out quickly. Harry got to his feet. "I'll talk to him and make him see reason."

Ron snorted. "Good luck with that."

Harry hurried out and caught Malfoy on the steps leading out of the dungeon. "Malfoy, wait!"

The Slytherin turned and regarded him with one eyebrow lifted. Harry trotted up the steps to meet him, not wanting to crane his neck looking up at Malfoy. Better to meet him on equal footing. Malfoy said nothing.

"Malfoy, look. This is ridiculous. You need to drop out of the play." Harry glanced at Malfoy's friends. The lot of them had halted at the top of the stairs and looked back at them.

"I need to drop out? And why should I drop out, Potter?" Malfoy asked in his usual supercilious tone.

"Because, I… Well, passing your N.E.W.T.s isn't as…" Harry choked back the word _important_ , knowing it sounded horribly egocentric. "I mean, no one expects you to pass Muggle Studies, do they?" Shit, that was nearly as bad, Harry realized.

Malfoy's eyes narrowed. "No one expects it, do they?"

"Maybe that came out wrong," Harry admitted.

"Maybe _you_ came out wrong," Malfoy snarled. Blaise Zabini trotted down the steps.

"Anything the matter?" Zabini asked and slipped an arm around Malfoy's waist. The way he did it struck Harry immediately. It was familiar, protective, and proprietorial… and obviously not unwanted by Malfoy.

"Nothing I can't handle," Malfoy said, but he did not move away from Zabini's embrace. "Leaving, Potter?"

Harry's eyes narrowed, but he had no intention of causing a scene with Malfoy's Slytherin contingent waiting to back him up. Harry straightened his backpack, mounted the stairs, and headed for his next class.

The next day Harry was relieved to have only a minor scene with Malfoy, although he found his relief short-lived when he had to watch a scene between Zabini and Malfoy beforehand.

Zabini, playing Hades, gripped Malfoy's face and leaned close to snarl, "Meg, my little flower, my little bird, my little nut-Meg. What exactly happened here? I thought you were gonna persuade the river guardian to join my team for the uprising and here I am, kind of river guardian-less."

Malfoy jerked away from Zabini and gave him a glare Harry was too-familiar with. "I gave it my best shot, but he gave me an offer I had to refuse."

Zabini nodded. "Fine, so instead of subtracting two years from your sentence, hey, I'm gonna add two on, okay? Give that your best shot."

"It wasn't my fault!" Malfoy yelled. "It was that wonder-boy, Hercules!"

Professor Barker clapped madly. "Excellent! Bravo, Draco! Blaise, you seem to be infused with the character of Hades. Well done!"

"Yeah, _infused_ with the evil god of the underworld," Harry muttered. "So unlike his real personality."

Hermione chuckled and glanced up from the book she was reading. Being a Titan, she had little to do until her bit part came. She had been utilizing the free time to revise for her other classes.

"Malfoy is surprisingly good at his part, don't you think?"

"No, I don't think!" Harry said.

She gave him a knowing look that Harry did not appreciate, but then it was time for his scene with Luna, so he got to his feet and joined her on the makeshift stage, trying to keep the story in focus. After rescuing Meg, Hercules and Phil travelled to Thebes to try and convince the townspeople that he was a genuine hero.

The townspeople, mainly made up of the Slytherin contingent, it seemed, had a great time jeering and deriding Hercules' prowess. Harry was only slightly cheered when Millicent Bulstrode lost some house points for calling Hercules a Mudblood.

The next scene involved Megara entreating Hercules to rescue two trapped children at the behest of Hades. The script called for Meg to rush in and beg Hercules to help, but Malfoy apparently had other plans.

"You!" he yelled imperiously. "Wonder Boy! Hercules! Whatever your name is! You're supposed to be heroic, so go and save those poor trapped waifs at once!"

Professor Barker looked dubious, but Malfoy lifted his chin. "I am improvising. I think Hercules would appreciate a more aggressive boyfriend rather than some clingy milksop, don't you think?"

Harry rolled his eyes, but charged into battle against a makeshift Hydra created from a Transfigured chair and spells that mimicked snarling heads. Hercules defeated the Hydra, Hades raged, and Megara looked smug.

After that Harry, as Hercules, was required to perform many heroic acts in order to build his reputation. It was surprisingly fun. Barker created some monsters with magic, but others were simply students dressed in makeshift costumes. They roared and snarled and pretended to die by Harry's sword. The younger students were going to love it.

All in all, Harry thought it was a pretty successful rehearsal.

 

~~H~~

_**Unbeknownst to Hercules, Meg was in league with Hades after selling her soul to save a man she'd once loved, but had left her for another woman. She was sent by Hades to find Hercules's weakness, but she fell in love with him instead.** _

Draco wanted to hex Potter. He wanted to push him down the stairs and stomp his face like he had once before. He wanted to shove Potter up against a wall and hear him beg for mercy… The last thought led to a clear image of Potter with head thrown back and lips wet, eyes wide and pleading, and Draco suddenly needed an ice cold glass of water and possibly a dunking in the lake.

Professor Barker had moved the class to an abandoned classroom on the second floor. All traces of rubble had been removed, but a giant crack in the wall admitted a few rays of sunlight. Barker promised the room would be repaired prior to their performance. The place was huge, fully twice the size of the ballroom at Malfoy Manor.

Barker had dug up a full-sized fountain from somewhere, complete with water-spewing Cupid statue, and it held a prominent place near one corner of the room. The students had taken over the room in clumps—one group painted a landscape on a canvas-covered portable wall, another had set up a row of mannequins and were arguing over period costumes, and another was conjuring rows of lights to be tacked up in various places.

"Hades! Megara!" Barker clapped her hands. "Scene, please. Take it from 'Looks like your game is over,' all right?"

Draco sighed and took his attention away from Potter. The prat was ignoring him, anyway, reading his script with Luna Lovegood in one darkened corner of the room. Draco wondered if Potter was developing a thing for Lovegood. He hadn't been seen romantically with the girl-Weasel since his return to Hogwarts, and it was obvious Potter didn't like boys after his demand that Draco withdraw from the play. Draco revisited his fantasy of punching Potter.

"Draco!" Blaise snapped.

"Yes, fine!" Draco retorted and stalked to an open area near the fountain to stand next to Blaise. "Looks like your game is over," he said loudly. "Wonder Boy is hitting every curve you throw at him." Draco frowned. The line had never made sense to him and Barker's rambling explanation made it clear that she hadn't understood it, either. Draco had written it off as some odd Muggle thing.

"I wonder if maybe I haven't been throwing the _right_ curves at him, Meg, my sweet."

"Don't even go there," Draco said warningly.

"See, he's gotta have a weakness, because everybody's got a weakness. For Pandora, it was the box thing. For the Trojans, they bet on the wrong horse. We simply need to find Wonder Boy's."

"I've done my part! Get your little, er, large imps—"

"They couldn't handle him as a baby. I need someone who can… handle him as a man."

"I've sworn off manhandling." The lines were coming easily to Draco today and he glared at Potter for good measure. The gathered students were riveted and surprisingly quiet.

"Well, you know, that's good because that's what got you into the jam in the first place, isn't it? You sold your soul to me to save your boyfriend's life. And how does this creep thank you? By running off with some babe. He hurt you real bad, didn't he, Meg? Huh?"

"Look, I learned my lesson, okay?" Draco glared at Potter across the room.

Blaise leaned close to Draco, looking Hades-smug. "Which is exactly why I got a feeling you're gonna leap at my new offer. You give me the key to bringing down Wonder Breath and I'll give you the thing that you crave most in the entire Cosmos. _Your freedom_."

Draco gasped convincingly and the students erupted into applause. Blaise laughed and threw an arm around Draco.

"This is actually rather fun, don't you think, Draco?"

Draco's eyes returned to Potter and his mouth went dry. It was time for the seduction scene. Draco hoped he could restrain his urge to hex the hero.

 

~~H~~

_**Phil discovered Meg to be working for Hades and attempted to warn Hercules, but abandoned him after an ensuing argument.** _

Harry glanced at Malfoy and away and he approached the fountain. Malfoy's glares had been more frequent and potent since the incident on the stairs. Luckily Malfoy didn't seem to have his wand in hand or Harry might have worried about surviving the next scene.

Professor Barker was a welcome distraction. "All right, we can skip the part where Meg meets Hercules at the stadium and steals him away, since I want to see if our new spotlight apparatus works. We'll rehearse that one later if we have time. Take it from stage left—that means over there, Harry, where you and Draco have just returned from your date."

"Where Megara and Hercules have returned from their date," Malfoy corrected firmly.

"Yes, Draco," Barker said, distracted by Goyle, who had knocked a vase onto the floor while dragging Zac Smith into a shrieking headlock.

Malfoy joined Harry at the appointed spot and they walked gamely next to the fountain. Tension radiated from Malfoy and Harry's lines were stilted at first as he babbled about Hercules' day with Meg.

Hercules' next words were heartfelt when Harry delivered them. "You know, when I was a kid I would have given anything to be exactly like everyone else."

"You wanted to be petty and dishonest?"

Harry frowned. "Everybody's not like that."

"Yes, they are."

"You're not like that." Harry stopped and looked at Malfoy; part of him wondered if he was still speaking as the character.

"How do you know what I'm like?" Draco's eyes were narrowed and the words rang with accusation.

"All I know is… You're the most amazing person with… weak ankles I've ever met. Meg, when I'm with you I… I don't feel so alone.

"Sometimes it's better to be alone."

"What do you mean?"

"Nobody can hurt you."

Harry stopped walking and turned to take both of Malfoy's hands in his own. "Meg? I would never, ever hurt you."

Malfoy's eyes widened, but he did not pull away. "And I don't want to hurt you, so… let's both do ourselves a favour and…" His words trailed away as Harry leaned closer. "…stop this…"

Harry's eyes fluttered nearly shut and he breathed in the sweet smell of Malfoy's breath. His lips were so close and looked so very soft.

"…before we…" Malfoy continued and then his lips brushed Harry's with the lightest of touches—just before an incredibly bright light flooded over them. Harry jerked back as though burned.

"It works!" Professor Barker crowed.

Harry blinked frantically to dispel the bright spots before his eyes. When he could see again, Malfoy was gone.

 

~~H~~

_**Realizing that Meg was Hercules's weakness, Hades used her to make a deal with Hercules where he was required to give up his powers for an entire day in exchange for Meg's safety. Hades used this time to free the Titans and take over Olympus, while Hercules was devastated by Meg's deception and lost the will to fight.** _

"All right, Draco, now that we know the lights will work, it's time for you to sing."

Draco halted in his tracks. His cheeks were flaming and he wanted nothing more than to get as far away from Harry Potter as possible. He had nearly kissed the prat! How could he have got lost in those stupid green eyes and forget that he wanted to hurt Potter? Not snog him!

"What?" Draco asked when Barker's words sank in.

"This is a musical, Draco, and Meg has a solo song. Haven't you been listening when I told you all to practice your songs?"

"I am _not singing_." Draco was adamant. It was bad enough he was playing the love-interest of Harry bloody Potter.

Barker tried hard, but all the pleading in the world would not make Draco back down on the issue. He refused to sing. Finally, Barker allowed the chorus and Hannah Hufflepuff to sing the song for Draco while he wandered around the fountain looking contemplative. It was still annoying, but better than the rest of Slytherin House laughing him out of Hogwarts. The teasing was bad enough considering his current part, but at least his misery had company in the form of Blaise, Crabbe, and Goyle, as well as Pansy, who had been thrust into a part of one of the Titans with Granger. If Draco was forced to sing as well, he might as well pack his things and go back to Wiltshire.

The rest of the week was easier. Barker had them practice their lines for homework and they spent class time building sets and taking costume fittings. Draco tried not to let his gaze linger when Potter doffed his shirt and allowed the Patils to drape him with white cloth.

Pansy was insufferable when it came to Draco's costume fitting, to the point of Vanishing his trousers and losing ten points for Slytherin. She did not appear mollified in the slightest.

"I will expect a replacement pair delivered tomorrow!" Draco raged.

"Perhaps I should bill Potter for them," Pansy replied. "His eyes practically fell out of his head when he caught sight of your arse. I should have Vanished your pants, as well."

Draco glanced at Potter, who was not looking at Draco at all, but his cheeks were tinted pink. "Probably mortified to have so much man-flesh offending his Gryffindor sensibilities," Draco muttered. "And you're damn lucky not to have Vanished my pants, you hopeless twit."

"Would have lost us six hundred points," Goyle said.

"Or gained us six hundred," Blaise put in. "I don't think Barker has seen a decent cock in a while."

Pansy made gagging noises and Crabbe and Goyle snickered. Draco sighed.

"How do you know Draco has a decent cock, Blaise?" Crabbe asked after a moment.

Blaise draped an arm around Draco's neck and leered. "Wouldn't you like to know?"

"I wouldn't!" Goyle said loudly.

Pansy swiped at Blaise and missed when he ducked, nearly dragging Draco down with him.

"You are all idiots," Draco decided. He looked at Potter once more and found the Gryffindor glaring at him. Business as usual, then. He turned and planted a kiss on the edge of Blaise's mouth. Let Potter make of that what he would.

 

~~H~~

**_One of the Titans, a Cyclops, is sent to Thebes to eliminate Hercules. Meg convinces Phil to return to Hercules, motivating him into battling and defeating the Cyclops through improvisation._ **

Harry lay on his bed and perused the Marauder's Map. Malfoy was out again. He had taken to wandering the grounds at night, a fact Harry had discovered early on after their return to Hogwarts. It was just as much a habit for Harry to take out the map and seek out his name.

For the past few nights, Malfoy had been leaving the dungeons and taking a mostly-unused path through the rubble-strewn ground floor area beyond the kitchens. It had been a seldom-utilized section of the castle prior to the war and little effort had been extended to repair it, not when so many other places needed more urgent restoration.

Malfoy typically wandered into an abandoned room and then stood, or possibly sat, unmoving, in the same spot for at least a couple of hours. Harry wondered what he could be doing alone for so long. Harry had resisted following him to find out so far, but after witnessing the kiss with Blaise earlier in the day, Harry was feeling less than charitable towards Malfoy and decided to find out what he was up to.

After peering out to find Ron and the others asleep, Harry tugged on his invisibility cloak and left Gryffindor Tower.

He encountered no one on the way, not even a wandering ghost, and carefully picked his way through fallen stones and bits of splintered wood. Harry frowned, thinking the area should have been warded to protect younger students, and then he rolled his eyes at himself. Merlin, he was getting old.

Conferring with the map several times to make sure he had the right room, Harry crept closer to the place. The door was cracked open and Harry carefully, slowly, pushed it open wider, alert for any sound.

Aside from a nearly inaudible scraping of stone on stone, it was silent. Malfoy was humming, to Harry's surprise. He was seated on a comfortable-looking chair in the centre of the room, making multi-coloured swirls of smoke curl from the end of his wand. Several books rested next to the chair and Harry raised a brow. Malfoy had been reading this whole time?

He crept closer. Malfoy's wand kept time with his humming. With a start, Harry recognized the song. It was the one Barker had tried to force Malfoy to sing. Harry's breath caught when Malfoy stopped humming and began to sing aloud.

" _I thought my heart had learned its lesson. It feels so good when you start out. My head is screaming get a grip, boy, unless you're dying to cry your heart out. You keep on denying, who you are and how you're feeling, baby we're not buying, hon we saw you hit the ceiling. When you gonna own up, face it like a grown-up that you got, got, got it bad_?"

Harry smiled in bemusement. Malfoy had a very nice voice. He could easily have pulled off singing the number himself in the play. Harry wondered why Malfoy had fought against it so hard.

"… _this scene won't play, I won't say it. Get off my case, I won't say it! At least out loud… I won't say I'm in love…_ " With the final notes of the song, the mist from Malfoy's wand swirled into a large red heart. Malfoy sighed heavily and the image dissipated slowly.

"Stupid song," Malfoy muttered. "Stupid play. Stupid Potter."

Harry's smile grew even though he felt a pang knowing that Malfoy really did hate him. There was something almost adorable about him sitting in an empty room in the middle of the night singing Muggle love songs and reading alone. Harry's smile faded when he realized it was actually very lonely. He wondered why Blaise Zabini wasn't keeping him company; they had seemed cosy enough lately.

The thought made Harry feel something close to indigestion. Zabini was always wrapped around Malfoy these days. Even Pansy Parkinson had a scowl on her face when she was with them. It was clear that Malfoy was not pretending to be attracted to boys—he truly was. Harry couldn't help but wonder about it.

" _At least out loud_ ," Malfoy repeated, " _I won't say I'm in love_." The final word trailed out liltingly and Malfoy's wand drew a golden lightning bolt in the air and surrounded it with a green heart. Harry's breath caught. Malfoy snorted and dispelled the shimmering images as he sat up straight. "Who am I kidding? He really is Wonder Boy. Gorgeous and oblivious. Time to stop pining for Potter and finish your Runic homework or Granger is going to outshine you _yet again_." With that, Malfoy reached down and picked up a huge tome. He flipped it open on his lap as Harry backed away, heart thudding.

_Stop pining for Potter._

Had he really heard those words?

Careful to be just as quiet on the way out as he had entering, Harry fled.

 

~~H~~

_**Meg was mortally wounded by a falling column when she saved Hercules, though it broke Hades's deal of Meg not being harmed and restored Hercules's powers, allowing him to defeat the Titans. Unfortunately, he was too late to save Meg from dying.** _

Potter was behaving strangely. He seemed to be watching Draco more than usual, his stare intent and searching. It made Draco uneasy and he vowed to stop spending so many late nights in his secret room. He was obviously not getting enough sleep if he was imagining that Potter cared about him any more than he ever had. The late nights were paying off with his grades, at least. Draco was essays ahead in Transfigurations and Ancient Runes, and he had created a cross-referenced list of potion ingredients that would have made Granger green with envy.

With set building well under way, Barker had allowed rehearsals to recommence. Draco enjoyed shouting at Blaise, who could barely contain his glee at being allowed to act diabolical. Draco stood up to him, as Megara, announcing his intention to side with Hercules. Phil misheard and ran to Hercules with the news of the betrayal, Hercules refused to listen, and Hades appeared with a bound Meg.

"Here's the trade-off. You give up your strength for about twenty-four hours, okay? Say, the next twenty-four hours, and Meg here is free as a bird and safe from harm. We dance, we kiss, we schmooze, we carry on, we go home happy. What d'ya say? Come on." Blaise grinned at Potter innocuously, looking rather evil even without a costume or effects.

"You swear he'll be safe from any harm?" Potter looked anguished. He was a far better actor than Draco would have suspected. Draco was impressed as he struggled in his magical bonds, which Blaise had wrapped a bit too tightly, damn his overzealousness. Draco's fingers were going numb.

Blaise sighed. "Okay, fine. I'll give you that one. Meg is safe, otherwise you get your strength right back, yadda-yadda, fine print, boilerplate, baboom. Okay? We're done, what d'ya say we shake on it? Do Muggles really talk this way?"

"Stay in character, Mr Zabini," Barker warned.

Blaise and Potter shook hands, which turned into something of a tug-of-war, and then Potter fell to his knees, strength apparently drained by the power of the oath. Draco watched as Potter sprawled on the floor, looking tragic and altogether tempting as Draco imagined him sprawled much that way, but on Draco's bed.

Blaise laughed. "Now you know how it feels to be just like everybody else. Isn't it just peachy? Oh! You'll love this. One more thing. Meg, babe. A deal is a deal. You're off the hook. By the way, Herc, is he not, like, a fabulous little actor?"

Draco, released from the bonds and gag, whispered loudly, "Stop it!"

Potter asked, "What do you mean?"

"I mean your little chickie-poo here was working for me all the time. Duh."

"You're… you're lying!" Potter managed a look of such betrayal that Draco felt a spear of remorse before he chastised himself for allowing the ridiculous scenario to affect him.

"No!" Draco said. "It's not like that! I didn't mean to— I… I couldn't—" He looked away as if burdened with guilt. "I'm so sorry."

Crabbe and Goyle danced around in a merry circle, chanting, "Our hero's a zero! Our hero's a zero!"

"Well, gotta blaze!" Blaise said and then laughed uproariously. He was joined by most of the other students and Draco groaned at the homophone. He stomped off to free Granger and the other Titans and start the war against Olympus.

Draco wrapped his arms around his legs and huddled miserably next to Potter, trying to look like the picture of a broken heart. It wasn't easy when Potter's gaze landed on him and a soft smile curved his lips, the sort Draco had never seen before.

"All right!" Barker yelled, breaking the spell. "Let's get the walls out here for the next scene!"

Potter got to his feet and spent the next twenty minutes practicing charms that would mimic an epic battle against Granger the Titan. Shortly before class ended, a spell knocked over a fake column that crashed towards Potter, only to have it crush Draco instead as Meg shoved Hercules to safety.

Potter lifted the column as if magically regaining his strength. "What's happening?" he cried.

"Hades' deal is broken," Draco replied weakly. "He promised I wouldn't get hurt."

"Meg! Why… why did you…?"

"People always do crazy things… when they're in love." Draco managed the words without sarcasm, though he would not have thought it possible only days ago. He couldn't help but close his eyes and chuckle when catcalls rolled through the room. Several of the students laughed.

"Kiss him!" someone yelled.

"I'll watch over him," Luna said dreamily and patted Potter on the shoulder.

"You're gonna be all right. I promise," Potter said and got to his feet, looking heroic. He strode away and Draco allowed his head to loll and his tongue to stick out in a parody of death, drawing another round of laughs. He supposed this acting thing wasn't so bad, after all.

Professor Barker put her head in her hands.

 

~~H~~

**_Hercules confronted Hades in the Underworld and offered his soul to reclaim Meg's. Hades accepted, but only if Hercules reclaimed Meg's soul from the River Styx, which gradually sapped his life force as he swam. However, Hercules's will to sacrifice his life for Meg awakened Hercules as a "true hero" and restored his status as an immortal god. Hercules successfully retrieved Meg's soul and punched Hades into the River Styx, where he was dragged to the depths by vengeful souls._ **

Harry was nervous. Today was the big scene and Malfoy was glaring at him even more than usual, his dark looks pulling Harry's doubt to the forefront of his mind. He wiped his hands on his toga, thinking it had been a bad decision to force costumes on them today of all days.

Thankfully, Malfoy looked just as uncomfortable in his pale green cloth draping. Uncomfortable and gorgeous, Harry noted. He tried not to stare at Malfoy's bare calves and ankles, which were wrapped in the criss-crossed leather straps from his sandals. Of course, lifting his gaze was even worse. Malfoy's torso was half bare, exposing one pale nipple and the barely visible remains of a Harry-inflicted scar.

Professor Barker dragged Harry's attention from Malfoy by calling Harry over to the swirling magical "pool" they had created to mimic the River Styx. Harry spent long minutes attempting to swim in the eddying currents, which was far less tangible than water, but left him just as disoriented and mainly had the effect of warping his toga and having it wrap around his head, leaving his nether parts exposed.

"Nice pants, Potter!" _Zabini_ , Harry thought, and heard echoing laughter. At least Harry had had the foresight to wear a decent pair, knowing they were supposed to dress in costume. Still, the thought of Parkinson and Zacharias Smith ogling his bits…

Barker ended the spell and released him from his swirling prison. "Well, that's going to need some work. Ron, how about if we use bubbles instead of spiralling the entire pool…?" She walked off to converse with Ron, who had jumped into set building with so much enthusiasm he spent half his free time sketching concepts and working out spells with Hermione.

Harry shook his head and straightened his clothing.

Barker yelled over, "Hercules! Hades! You two go over your lines and we'll work out the Styx problem. Just read the lines and _no punching_!"

"Damn, I was looking forward to that," Harry said when Zabini approached.

Zabini smirked at him. "I'll bet you were. You seem to be somewhat annoyed with me lately, Potter."

Harry rolled his eyes. "No more than usual, Zabini."

"Oh really? Because it looks to me like you don't like it when I put my hands on your precious Meg."

Harry's eyes flashed to Malfoy, who was arguing with the Patil sisters over his outfit. Parkinson affixed a leaf-covered crown to Malfoy's head.

"I don't know what you mean," Harry replied.

Zabini sighed. "Fine. Keep playing stupid. I've done my part. Let's get on with this thing."

Harry recited his lines, but half of his mind kept replaying Zabini's statement. What had he meant?

After Hercules' final confrontation with Hades, during which he was to hit him and send him flying into the River Styx, apparently to be trapped forever, since there had been no sequel, Hercules' carried Meg's soul to Malfoy. It wasn't very soul-like at the moment, being simulated with a Slytherin scarf. The props department hadn't worked out quite how to make a viable soul.

Malfoy sprawled on the floor near the fallen column, playing dead. Luna stood over him, looking sad. Harry knelt next to him and clenched his hands in the scarf for a moment before draping it over Malfoy, whose grey eyes opened and fixed on him.

Malfoy sat up. "Wonder Boy, why did you—?"

"People always do crazy things… when they're in love," Harry replied and leaned forwards to press his lips against Malfoy's. He had meant it to be a simple, quick peck—the real kiss was not to come until later, according to the script.

Instead, one of Malfoy's hands curled into Harry's hair, holding him in place. Their lips met and pressed firmly together as Malfoy's other hand slipped into Harry's toga, sliding over the bare skin of his back. Harry sighed and pushed closer, bracing himself on the floor with one hand but curving the other around Malfoy's shoulders. Malfoy's lips parted and the kiss deepened, sending tendrils of flame flickering through Harry as their tongues met for the first time. It should have been just like kissing Cho Chang or Ginny, but it wasn't. Probably because it was Draco Malfoy and nothing had ever been predictable where he was concerned.

Catcalls, cheering, and clapping broke them apart, as well as Barker's shout to "stop horsing around and get on with the story!" Harry blinked at Malfoy as a lazy smile curved his lips.

"Stay after class?" Harry whispered. Malfoy nodded minutely and Harry reluctantly let him go. His heart was pounding and he knew that single kiss had changed everything.

"Finally figured it out, eh, Wonder Boy?" Zabini asked with a hard clap on the shoulder as Harry left the performance area so the others could set up Olympus for the final scene.

 

~~H~~

_**Hercules returned Meg's soul to her body and brought her back to life, and was taken to Olympus where the gods welcomed him back into his old home. However, Hercules refused live without Meg, so Zeus allowed him to stay on Earth as a mortal to remain with the one he loved. Zeus created a constellation of Hercules in the night sky, allowing the world to hail him as a true hero.** _

Draco had trouble climbing to his feet after the kiss. There was no way that had been faked, especially considering the dazed look in Potter's eyes and the whispered question.

Potter walked off to join his gaping friend—Draco spared a triumphant smirk for the Weasel—and Draco staggered away to face Pansy's wrath.

"Draco, I am writing to my parents to demand they break off our engagement. I am very disappointed in you. How dare you choose Potter over me?" Her face was set in a pinched lines.

"Give it up, Pansy," Blaise said and laughed. "You've been in denial worse than Potter. Those two have been dying to crawl into each other's beds since before the war."

"Well, obviously, but I had hoped it was a passing phase." She looked at Draco speculatively. "Is it a passing phase, Draco?"

Draco glanced at Potter, who was watching him inscrutably, but a tentative smile curved Potter's lips when he noticed Draco's attention. Draco smiled back. "I don't think so," Draco said.

"Fine, but I don't plan to be anywhere near when your parents find out. And I'll hex Potter's balls off if he even thinks about breaking your heart." She threw Potter a glare that caused Potter's smile to fade. He turned back to Weasley, who still looked horrified, but was listening to Granger's endless babble. Draco had expected a hex from her direction, but she had only rolled her eyes and shrugged.

Several classmates lurked after the majority had left, and Barker seemed willing to stick around endlessly, so Potter finally quit pretending to rearrange items in his satchel and slung it over his shoulder before walking near Draco.

"Walk with me?" Potter asked quietly. They were both dressed in their usual clothes and Draco spared a moment to mourn the loss of Potter's toga and all that bare skin.

Draco shrugged and tucked his last items away before falling in next to Potter. They walked only as far as the nearest dark alcove and then Potter was dragging Draco into the darkness by one sleeve.

Draco might have protested such manhandling, except the next moment Potter's lips were on his and his body was pressed tightly and deliciously up against Draco's. Potter seemed ready to devour Draco, which was fine with him; he was more than ready to be devoured.

Potter pulled away for a moment to look into Draco's eyes. Potter's pupils looked huge and his glasses were askew. Draco reached up with both hands and pulled them away. He folded them carefully and tucked them into a pocket of Potter's robes.

Potter's hands were on Draco's hips, holding him against the wall as though Draco had any intention of leaving.

"How long?" Potter asked.

"How long?" Draco repeated, unsure of the meaning of the question. "We have about twenty minutes before our next class. Why? What did you have in mind?"

Potter chuckled and leaned forward to place another lingering kiss on Draco's mouth. Draco mentally wrote off the next class, just in case.

"I meant how long have you wanted this?"

"Does it matter?" Draco asked and pushed his hands into Potter's surprisingly soft hair. He nipped at Potter's lower lip and then traced it with his tongue. Potter groaned.

"Nothing matters when you do that."

"Then I'll keep doing it," Draco said and pulled him in for another kiss.

Several hours later, they huddled together atop the Astronomy Tower, warm and cosy beneath one of Draco's charmed blankets.

"Where is it?" Potter asked, eyes on the sky.

Draco pointed out the constellation and then nibbled on Potter's neck when he craned his head for a better look.

"Thanks, Hercules," Potter said and threw the group of stars a salute before falling back and pulling Draco atop him.

"Heroes," Draco said and laughed. "There is only one way to shut them up."

So he did.

**THE END**


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